Recommend me some current MG titles!

Super Geek · May 6, 2009

My work is progress is a middle grade novel, and I've been reading as much great MG stuff as I can to prepare. However, nothing I've been reading is very current- I've mostly read stuff that I enjoyed when I was that age myself, or things my younger siblings enjoyed. I'd love to know some stuff out now that is either great, really popular, or both.

I'm especially looking for stuff with an action or adventure slant, but that's not as important as it being current. I just really want to read up what's out there now.

Thank you in advance!

Toothpaste · May 6, 2009

Okay then, shameless self promoter here:

Alex and the Ironic Gentleman

and its sequel . . .

Timothy and the Dragon's Gate.

Both available online and in bookstores.

And yes, okay, so maybe I kinda sorta wrote them (you may note they just happen to be in my signature) . . . but they do get great reviews, and they are exactly what you are looking for, current and action/adventure.

And because I'm not all about me (well not all the time at least), the Lemony Snicket books are also in that vein, as is the Rick Riordan Percy Jackson series.

som1luvsmi · May 6, 2009

Diary of a Wimpy Kid series is VERY popular. My son reads them and can't stop laughing when he does. the same goes for the Captain Underpants series.

Kitty Pryde · May 6, 2009

this is an assortment of mostly fantasy or adventure books for lower and middle MG that are mega popular and recent, particularly boy books because i think you are writing a boy book:

All the Dav Pilkey stuff (since you are doing superheroes)
AW's own Adrienne Kress has two MG books, Alex and the Ironic Gentlemen, Timothy and the Dragon's Gate
Diary of a Wimpy Kid books by Jeff Kinney
Judy Moody series by Megan McDonald
Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson series (kids with magic powers versus the greek gods and monsters)
'Graveyard Book' and 'Coraline' by Neil Gaiman
Terry Pratchett's kids stuff (very strong heroine): Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents, Wee Free Men, Wintersmith, Hat Full of Sky (he has other kids stuff but it's very dated)
Erin Hunter's Warriors series (magical cats)
Hoot, Carl Hiaasen (eco-warrior middle schoolers)
Inkheart series by Cornelia Funke (magic and mayhem, boy and girl protags)
the first three Harry Potter books

CaroGirl · May 6, 2009

They might not be particularly current, but Judy Blume is the master. My daughter just discovered her series featuring Sheila The Great and Fudge. She forced me to buy her a four-book box set and she reads them over and over (okay, it doesn't take much force to get me to buy books for my kids).

I second Adrienne Kress's books.

Amarie · May 6, 2009

Young Samurai by Chris Bradford

My 13 year-old went crazy over this.

C.T. Richmond · May 6, 2009

The Fablehaven series by Brandon Mull is fun---fantasy novels with lots of action and adventure.

I'm currently reading James Rollins' Jake Ransom and the Skull King's Shadow. It's an fantasy/adventure story too and the writing is great.

suki · May 6, 2009

LOts of great recs already, but I'll add:

Holes, by Louis Sachar
The Skulduggery Pleasant series, by Derek Landy

Both are fabulous, funny, advernterous books/series for upper middle grade.

As an aside, the Skullduggery Pleasant book on tape is really amazingly well done. We listened to it on a car trip, and it was terrific.

~suki

Amarie · May 6, 2009

C.T. Richmond said:
The Fablehaven series by Brandon Mull is fun---fantasy novels with lots of action and adventure.

I'm currently reading James Rollins' Jake Ransom and the Skull King's Shadow. It's an fantasy/adventure story too and the writing is great.

That's almost next on my list to read! Glad to hear it's enjoyable.

CaroGirl · May 6, 2009

My son is 11 and has lately loved Chris d'Lacey's Fire Star series and, prior to that, Kenneth Oppel's Darkwing series.

Super Geek · May 6, 2009

Oh my goodness! I headed over here to see if I'd gotten any replies before I headed off to the library, and I wound up with a thread full of them.

I'll get out a notebook and make a list. Looks like I have lots of great reading to do.

Thank you to everyone for your recommendations. I'm really excited about reading some of these.

MsJudy · May 6, 2009

More:

Jeff Stone's Five Ancestors series (Tiger, Monkey, Crane, Snake, Eagle, Mouse)--chinese martial arts adventures, fast-paced and funny
Suzanne Collins' Gregor the Overlander series--dark, intense, kind of haunting

I haven't read them yet, but I know the Cirque Du Freak series is pretty popular as well.
In my stack to read: Gordon Korman's Swindle is getting good reviews.

Less fantasy/adventure, but very well-written and popular with boys: anything by Andrew Clements

Neil Shusterman is considered YA, but his stuff is pretty tame YA, my fourth grader loves his stuff.

And then there are the British fantasy queens, Dianna Wynne Jones especially, and Eva Ibbotson. Jane Yolen has some nice MG fantasies as well.

Hillary · May 7, 2009

I want to read THE DEMON'S LEXICON by Sarah Rees Brennan. Why? Because she used to write Harry Potter fanfic for fun, and then her "real" work was snatched up in a bidding war that ended somewhere in the high six-figures. Plus, her blog cracks me up. Funny girl. (Plus, I just love that one of her characters walks into a room wearing a t-shirt that says Romeo and Juliet Wouldn't Have Lasted because THAT is brilliant.)

I wanna check it out. It's gonna be a trilogy, as I hear it.

Angela_785 · May 7, 2009

PJ HOOVER's The Emerald Tablet
Danette Haworth's Violet Raines Almost Got struck By Lightning
The Garden of Eve K.L. Going

MsJudy · May 8, 2009

OMG, I can't believe we left THE SPIDERWICK CHRONICLES off the list. sorry.

FFFearlesss · May 27, 2009

While we're at it, can anyone suggest MG boys books similar in the adventure style to "Holes". You know, where there's some out there stuff going on (treasure hunting anyone) but the laws of physics still apply (i.e. no wizards or portals to other dimensions)???

MissKris · May 27, 2009

Sorry, this isn't Holes related, but:

Zen and the Art of Faking It by Jordan Sonnenblick and
No Talking by Andrew Clements are two great contemporary MGs that I just finished.

MsJudy · May 27, 2009

FFFearlesss said:
While we're at it, can anyone suggest MG boys books similar in the adventure style to "Holes". You know, where there's some out there stuff going on (treasure hunting anyone) but the laws of physics still apply (i.e. no wizards or portals to other dimensions)???

Louis Sachar has other books besides HOLES.
Andrew Clements has many books out, popular with boys.

Other authors popular with boys: Jerry Spinelli, Gordon Korman, Neil Shusterman (though he's more YA than MG).

All five of these authors have vivid imaginations but stay within the confines of the real world, more or less.

SheilaJG · May 28, 2009

FFFearlesss said:
While we're at it, can anyone suggest MG boys books similar in the adventure style to "Holes". You know, where there's some out there stuff going on (treasure hunting anyone) but the laws of physics still apply (i.e. no wizards or portals to other dimensions)???

Lots of great suggestions already, but here are a few others:

Alabama Moon by Watt Key. I loved this book, and so did my son.
Tangerine by Edward Bloor
Eleven by Patricia Reilly Giff
Found by Margaret Haddix
Room One a Mystery or Two - Clements (all his books are great)

I second Shusterman, especially The Schwa Was Here. My son loved it. Also bordering on YA, and also great, is The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins.

Happy reading!

Toothpaste · May 28, 2009

FFFearlesss said:
While we're at it, can anyone suggest MG boys books similar in the adventure style to "Holes". You know, where there's some out there stuff going on (treasure hunting anyone) but the laws of physics still apply (i.e. no wizards or portals to other dimensions)???

And once more some shameless self promotion:

My second book Timothy and the Dragon's Gate. There is the slight fantastical as we have a Chinese Dragon in it, but the rest is quite grounded in our reality. I happen to know the boys are really enjoying it . . .

Cassidy · May 29, 2009

Some Canadian adventure books I love, by Kenneth Oppel-- a fabulous adventure trilogy-- Airborne (and SkyBreaker and StarClimber), and the SilverWing series as well. Really gripping reads, very original and well written. Here's his website if you want more info: http://www.kennethoppel.ca/home.htm

Smish · May 29, 2009

Gennifer Choldenko is an EXCELLENT current writer. Has anyone mentioned her yet?

"Al Capone Does My Shirts" - Newbery Honor.
"If a Tree Falls at Lunch Period"
"Notes From a Liar and Her Dog"

MsJudy · May 31, 2009

I know who I left out for non-magical boyish adventures: Sid Fleischman. THE WHIPPING BOY is his most famous, and it's delightful. I haven't read any of his others, but most of them are historical adventures. Pirates, Gold Rush, that sort of thing.

FFFearlesss · Jun 8, 2009

I just finished reading "City of Ember" and WOW, that was a spellbinding read. Lead character is a girl, but I think boys would totally eat it up.

JoeEkaitis · Jun 9, 2009

I humbly direct you to my sig line. And we thank you.

Recommend me some current MG titles!

The gosh-darned Batman

THE RECKLESS RESCUE is out now!

My brother loves me thiiis much! :)

i luv you giant bear statue

Living the dream

carpe libri

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The gosh-darned Batman

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writing for kids and teens

Reads more than she writes.

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